Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Book Description

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

Review

I have a long-standing weakness for portal fantasy.

Ever since reading Through the Looking-Glass, I’ve been fascinated by the idea that mirrors are more than reflective surfaces. They feel like thresholds. Invitations. Warnings.

So when T. Kingfisher wrote a story that leans into that mirror-as-doorway energy, I was ready.

Hemlock & Silver delivers exactly what I’ve come to expect from Kingfisher. A smart, character-driven fantasy with sharp edges and dry humor. But it also feels distinct from her other books. That’s one reason she remains one of my favorite fantasy authors. Even within similar genre territory, she refuses to repeat herself.

This is portal fantasy done with restraint. The magic is tangible without being over-explained. The other world is unsettling without tipping into epic sprawl. There are no endless maps or political systems to memorize. Instead, the story stays tightly focused on the character’s experience. Namely, what it feels like to cross a threshold and discover that the reflection isn’t what you thought it was.

Kingfisher has a gift for grounding the strange. The uncanny elements don’t float untethered; they’re anchored in physical detail and human reaction. It makes the story work. You believe the mirror could open. You believe someone might step through it.

And, as always, there’s humor. Not slapstick. Not forced quirkiness. Just that particular Kingfisher wit that slides in sideways. The kind that reminds you that even in the presence of magic, people remain skeptical, flawed, and occasionally exasperated.

I love how Kingfisher understands tone. A House With Good Bones feels nothing like Thornhedge, which feels nothing like A Sorceress Comes to Call. Each story has its own texture and emotional register. Hemlock & Silver adds something new to that collection . It’s quieter, more liminal, and steeped in reflection (in every sense).

If you love portal fantasy that’s intimate rather than epic, eerie rather than explosive, and clever without being showy, this one is well worth the journey.

Content Warning

Blood, Body horror, Child death, Emotional manipulation, Grief, Injury, Kidnapping, Murder, Peril, Psychological tension, Self-harm, Violence, Vomit

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Patrick von der Wehd on Unsplash